IPL 2025: AB de Villiers Reveals 4 Players RCB Must Target at Auctions

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have decided to keep three players: Rajat Patidar (INR 11 crore), Yadh Dayal (INR 5 crore), and Virat Kohli (INR 21 crore), as was revealed a few days ago. The administration appears to be looking to restructure the team for the upcoming Indian Premier League season. With INR 83 crore left over, RCB has the second-largest reserve in the 10-franchise tournament.

Ab de Villiers, a former South African captain and star batsman who played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL from 2011 to 2021, wants the Bengaluru-based team to acquire South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, Indian spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, and pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IPL 2025 mega auction.

From 2022 to 2024, Chahal and Ashwin played for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, however, RR did not keep them. In the same vein, Bhuvneshwar and Rabada, who participated in the 2024 Indian Premier League for SRH and PBKS, respectively, were also released.

Villiers advice ahead of IPL 2025 auction:

AB De Villiers' Top 4 priority for RCB. pic.twitter.com/7h7DTnhzqe

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) November 7, 2024

On his YouTube channel, Villiers said, "Rs. 83 crore to spend, which is fantastic, I want the priority to be a world-class spinner. Let's just get Yuzi back. Let's stop messing around. Let's get Yuzi back in RCB where he belongs. He should never have left. RCB can also get Ravi Ashwin, I fancy Washi Sundar as well. But with Ravi Ashwin, he has all the experience, you know what you get from him and he can also win you a game with bat in hand. Imagine if we get the twin spins from RR at RCB -- these are guys who know their games in and out. I would be very happy about that. Anyway, Yuzi Chahal is my main priority."

He further added, “We need a team that understands the Chinnaswamy, who can play there, who is street smart, who can bowl to plans, who can play to plans, who’s got a very good understanding about the game of cricket. And Yuzi Chahal, Ravi Ashwin, Bhuvi Kumar, and Kagiso Rabada. It doesn’t get better than that, okay? They understand their games. They will find a way to make the Chinnaswamy work for RCB."

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